I would love to see target sizes for all shots...that would be interesting . I still say that although this shot is widely accepted, it presents no bigger kill zone than others that are frowned upon
I suppose that from a certain perspective you're right, but what does change is that all of the vitals are wide open and there is no heavy bone structure protecting any of them.
I can't imagine taking any shot past 35 yards anyway as I posted in a different thread the other day. I have and can, just don't feel the need to anymore. Said before I may push it out to 40 on a doe so same for this shot 35-40. Most of my stands are setup for 25 yards and under anyway, furthest I shot to harvest last year was 30 and the other two were 20 and 8 yards....from 10-12' ladder stands. At those yardages I don't feel like that's any smaller a target than a full on broadside and probably a bit higher percentage shot due to angle and layering of vitals. Totally confident in either quartering away or full broadside.
Just an observation: If the head you hit plays a factor on whether or not you take a shot...you need to re-evaluate. Mechanical/fixed doesn't matter on shot choice...both have the pluses in shots that don't go where aimed but neither play a factor or should play a factor in shot selection.
The degree of quartering away makes a difference in my opinion. Slightly quartering away is fine and actually desirable. Severe quartering away is a whole different shot. I had a severe quartering away shot 2 years ago where the deer was facing to my left. It was a 20 yard shot and I was on the ground with the deer slightly uphill from me. The deer was feeding and did not have a clue I was there. My thought was that I could put an arrow just behind the rib cage on the left (near) side and have the arrow angle through and come out in front of the shoulder on the right (far) side. I took aim and just as I squeezed the trigger on the release, the buck took a side step to his left which now put his rear end directly towards me. My quartering away shot just became a Texas heart shot and the string was already released but the arrow hadn't completely left the bow. I heard the thunk when the arrow hit and my heart sank since I was sure I had gut shot him and would not recover him. It was about an hour until dark and it was going to get down to 30 degrees that night so I backed out and came back the next morning. I did not find any blood but when I went to where I last saw him, he had only went about 15-20 yards further. Upon closer inspection, the arrow traveled between his rear legs and entered the body cavity in close proximity to his testicles. It traveled through the guts and diaphram, nicked the right lung and tore up the left one pretty bad and broke 2 ribs on the left side. The arrow was still in the deer with only the fletching and nock visible near the testicles. I was thankful it was a quick end and what I thought was a bad shot turned out to actually be quite good. But just because I got lucky that time, I realize that way too much can go wrong on a steep quartering away shot to risk taking it again and would pass that same shot for a more broadside one in the future.
I had a similar thing happen last week, deer was broadside when I drew my bow. I settled the pin on her vitals and squeezed the trigger. She turned at the same time and my shot ended up entering her left rear quarter. I never saw her turn while looking through my peep, but I knew when I heard the arrow hit her that she was facing away. I initially thought she had done the hokey pokey and spun at the sound of the shot, but after watching the footage it was clear she simply was turning casually. She made a short sprint and I heard her crash and give her last breath. I thought man, guess it was in there after all, only to walk up on a deer with an arrow sticking out its butt. I certainly got lucky, and was thankfull for that. As far as a quartering away shot..... in general, if the deer is standing at 45deg angle or less I am shooting.
I really don't think that you can lump angled shots together as a pass / no pass situation. I have also shot and killed deer that were at a slight angle to me.... but not quartered... all depends on the specific situation.
A good friend of mine pulled a shot and hit a buck right in the rump lucky for him it hit the femoral artery and it dropped dead with an insane blood trail within 30yards but that was pure luck
This is why I wouldn't take the steep quartering away shots. If I pull the shot a little, I have a smaller kill zone. If the deer moves, again there's more chance for bad things to happen. I'm all about a quartering away shot, all day long. It's the steep angle that I worry about.
i would take this shot anywhere from 25 to 35 yards. that's within my effective range and the my target is nearly the same size as a broadside shot. as others have said, aim over the back leg and you'll do damage.
I passed up a 140" ten point last year when this was the only shot he offered me. I wasn't scared of sticking guts, I was scared of him pivoting a bit on release and me sticking that arrow right in this back end.
I'm late to the party, but Yes... I'm shooting if it's at a range I'm comfortable with. 25ish and under, yup. 40+, nope. Inbetween would be determined on a case by case basis. As long as I can see that off shoulder (leg) without going through the ham. I see 8" or more of L to R target error in the photos posted. My doe last year was angled like that. Entered at the diaphragm and exited out the front shoulder. She was done in 10 seconds.
I have no problem taking that shot, given its in my comfort range, the Deer is relaxed and I can see that off side leg to go by! I have shot many,, hard quartering away. As mentioned though, steep angle is a whole nuther ball game!
I've shot a few deer that were quartering away hard and I had no problem recovering them after fairly short blood trails. I'll admit none of those shots were at very long range, but I could make that shot on any deer at the ranges I allow myself to shoot while hunting.
I'll take a corning away shot, that is if it's not too steep corning. Slighting I guess is a better way to say it.
The problems occur when people keep one aiming point for ALL shots, right behind the shoulder.. . Too many worry TO much about the entrance hole when in fact its the exit hole that should be the greatest concern. A lot of quartering away shots where people aim at right behind the shoulder end up surviving as the arrow/head never decompress the chest cavity. Seen a guy shoot right behind the shoulder with a muzzleloader and the bullet skip down the rib cage, luckily the doe sat down a few yards away and reloaded and finished her. When we butchered it we could not believe the first shot did not enter the chest cavity.
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